


Save Room For Something Sweet

by katiegangel



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Original Character(s), Post-Canon, Seriously there is a lot of fluff here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 03:21:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiegangel/pseuds/katiegangel
Summary: A Birthday Fic For Tenoko1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Crowley creates a little surprise for his angel.





	Save Room For Something Sweet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tenoko1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenoko1/gifts).

> A Birthday Fic For Tenoko1. Crowley creates a little surprise for his angel. This can be considered something of a follow up to Tenoko1's "Laugh When It Sinks In" which you need to read NOW at:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/20244232
> 
> Or listen to at:  
https://archiveofourown.org/works/20493113
> 
> Ariel is an original creation by me and her full story will be posted eventually. All you need to know right now is that she's the Angel of Animals and kinda become Aziraphale and Crowley's little sister after the Not-pocalypse. She also has a snake companion named Danger Noodle. Yes, Crowley named him. For a physical reference for Ariel, please see Kohaku from CLAMP's Managa "Wish."
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

It was the sort of place that often required Devine (or possibly Demonic) intervention to get in. It hummed with a sense of elegance that similar restaurants tried (and failed) to project, more often coming across as ‘trashy’ or “please, millennials (that we clearly don’t understand), give us your money.” Tonight, however, it was peaceful and empty. Monday nights were never a gold mine at any restaurant, sushi or otherwise, and aside from one other table, they were the only ones there. That was the way Crowley liked it. He picked up his chopsticks and delicately nudged the last piece of Hamachi Sashimi across the plate.

“Here,” he smiled at the angel sitting across from him.

“Oh,” Aziraphale blinked. “No, really, I couldn’t eat another-“

“Don’t play daft with me, you’ve spent the last three minutes yearning for it. You can have it.” 

Aziraphale smiled brightly. “Are you certain?”

Crowley lowered his head and his eyes made a rare public appearance. Aziraphale got the message and picked up the last piece, quickly eating it and enjoying every second. Upon finishing, he let out a contented sigh. Crowley smirked.

“Do you two want to be alone?”

Aziraphale shot him a look. “No need to be obscene.”

“Have you met me?” Crowley asked playfully, his smile deepening. “How are the new hires?”

“Oh, absolutely lovely!” Aziraphale gushed. “Amina is better than I could have hoped for. The customers adore her!”

Crowley smirked. From the sound of it, Amina’s personality and care for the shop’s customers meant that Aziraphale didn’t have to deal with them personally. He was getting better at interacting with customers, but it was still somewhat outside of his comfort zone. 

“The cafe has all but become Rose’s domain. I’ve had customers specifically ask about her hours. I think we’re taking business from the Starbucks down the street.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Crowley sipped his wine.

“I don’t believe so,” Aziraphale said. “Their baristas come in all the time.”

Crowley snorted into the glass.

“I’m starting to see regulars now. Who’d have thought it? Why the idea of regulars used to… well, it isn’t quite as mortifying now. I’ve also had customers make requests. Twice this week, someone brought up…” He paused to recall the proper pronunciation of the word. “‘Mangas.’ I had no idea what that was. So, I did some research and...” he gave a fatigued sigh. “There are so many! I have no idea which ones to get.”

“You’ll need the classics and a couple of the newer ones. I don’t think you’re ever going to be Forbidden Planet,*1 but you’ll want to give your customers a solid selection. I’ll help you bring in the right ones.”

Aziraphale blinked but eventually smiled back. He was growing accustomed to the idea that nothing Crowley did or knew - less it was extremely kind or had almost no benefit for him - was surprising. Why shouldn’t Crowley know what a ‘manga’ was?

“I will defer to your expertise,” Aziraphale smiled as the waiter dropped the bill. Crowley checked his watch and snapped his fingers, conjuring up the proper amount of money to cover the tab and an extremely generous tip for the poor waiter who was clearly distraught about the emptiness of the restaurant that night. He knew she’d put half of it in her savings and use the other half on a surprise trip to California. 

“Come on,” Crowley grinned, gesturing for the angel to follow him. 

They left the restaurant and began to stroll casually down the street. Aside from the occasional cars, pedestrians quickly jogging home and the chatter of the local pubs, the street was fairly peaceful by London Standards. Of course, ‘London Standards’ for a quiet street was one that wasn’t packed to the brim with cars.

“We really should find a place with good vegetarian sushi,” Aziraphale mused.

“Checked out a place a few days ago,” Crowley said. “Wasn’t anything special.”

“Still,” Aziraphale countered. “It would be lovely to find the right place for the three of us.”

They had all gone out a few weeks ago. Before they’d thought better of it, both of them had mentioned a craving for sushi. Of course, that had lead Ariel to suggest they go and, despite their objections, she had insisted. The restaurant had been excellent and Ariel thoroughly enjoyed herself, but the angel and demon had felt bad about it. Still, she’d enjoyed the tea, rice, tempura vegetables, and edamame, so the evening had been far from a failure.

“I hope the little dear is well,” Aziraphale said, his tone that of a parent dropping a child off at their first day of school.

Crowley waved a hand dismissively. “We saw her two days ago, I’m certain she’s okay.”

Aziraphale shot him a glance. “Can you honestly say you haven’t been thinking the same thing?”

Crowley grumbled and looked away, missing Aziraphale’s smile. It had only been a little over two months, but the Guardian had earned a special place in the angel and the demon’s hearts. Well, she’d always had a place in Crowley’s heart, but it hadn’t been thought about for at least six thousand years. 

The younger angel had adjusted to life in England surprisingly well. Within a month she knew her way around the Underground, picked up the nuances in English slang, had at least some understanding of why football was so important (though that she was able to grasp almost immediately. No matter where you went on earth, humanity was viciously protective of their sports teams) and knew how to make a ‘proper*2’ cup of tea. She’d set up her schedule to work at Mary’s Cat Cafe during the week, volunteer at an animal shelter on the weekends and spend any extra time at Aziraphale’s shop behind the pastry counter. 

Finding a flat had been the difficult part. Upon arriving at her old apartment and discovering a room that made the smallest walk-in closets look spacious and a bed about as comfortable as a marble slab, Crowley had lost it.

“Are all angels created without a concept of decent living?!” He’d cried, flabbergasted and ignoring the fact that he was somewhat insulting himself in the process. 

“I really don’t need much space,” Ariel had explained. 

“The only space you have is that!” Crowley said, pointing at the distance from the door to the bed, of which there was not much. “You’re getting a proper home in England, no objections!”

The three of them had gone flat hunting the following weekend. As to be expected, every place Ariel liked Crowley declared too small and every place Crowley deemed “acceptable” could have comfortably fit a family of four. Aziraphale had intervened with the discovery of a flat up for sale near his shop that was a pleasant compromise. It had a good-sized kitchen, a living area and two well- sized bedrooms, which he’d been able to justify to Ariel by suggesting it would be perfect if he and Crowley ever stayed the night. It worked out better than they could have hoped. The kitchen accommodated Ariel’s newfound talent for baking and since Aziraphale and Crowley visited at least twice- if not three times- a week, the extra bedroom was a solid investment. She’d even decorated it with them in mind, giving it something of a ‘romantic getaway’ feel.

They reached the door to her complex and pressed the bell to her flat, quickly getting buzzed in before climbing a small flight of stairs. Walking down the hall, they came to her door and knocked twice. A moment later, the knob turned and the door seemed to open by itself. Crowley smirked and stepped inside, Aziraphale following behind him.

“Still busy, is she?” He asked, turning around as the door was closed by the long white tail that drew itself back up onto the catwalk. From his perch, the white python lifted his head and nodded in response to Crowley before lowering his head to meet Aziraphale’s hands.

“How are you, old chap?” The angel asked, giving the snake a few good strokes under the chin and atop the head. In the soft colors of the apartment, the pearl white python almost glowed, his scales shimmering pink and silver. The snake lowered his head gratefully, giving the angel the closest thing to a bow that he could and an accompanying look that seemed to say “Well. And yourself?”

“So polite,” Aziraphale cooed over the serpent. He looked back at Crowley, who was leaning against the wall, waiting for him to finish. “You could learn a thing or two.”

Crowley stuck his fork tongue playfully out at the angel. Truthfully, he felt more comfortable with Ariel living on her own since Danger Noodle*3 arrived. The snake provided Ariel with the company Crowley suspected the angel had never received on Heaven or Earth and his divinity made him an excellent guard. Crowley had a good feeling that if anyone- angel, demon or human- attempted to cause Ariel harm, the serpent would make sure there was nothing left but a pile of fabric and an essence of something that had once had consciousness. “Is she in the kitchen?” He asked.

The snake nodded and pulled himself back up to the catwalk, slithering along it to the kitchen. Ariel had installed the catwalks and extra lamps shortly after his arrival. It gave Danger Noodle more access to the flat than most snakes would ever hope to have. The angel and demon followed, having already caught the smell of freshly baked goods as they’d arrived, but with Danger Noodle greeting them, they hadn’t had the opportunity to acknowledge it.

They entered in time to see Ariel place the final piece onto the china serving platter. She arranged it carefully, adding a tiny candy flower to the top. Her apron was stained with flour and cake batter and the colorful flecks of frosting on her cheeks suggested she’d been at this for quite some time. At the sound of footsteps, she lifted her head and a smile bloomed onto her face. Leaving her position, she moved quickly to greet them, catching herself before she hugged Aziraphale.

“Oh!” She quickly took her apron off and hung it on a rack beside a multitude of multi-colored companions before hugging him. “Sorry, almost messed up your suit again.”

The last time they’d come over, she’d been in the middle of making cookies. Upon giving Aziraphale a hud, she realized she’d accidentally covered the Principality’s waistcoat with smudges of cookie batter and chocolate chips. 

“No need to apologize. Even if you had left it on, I could easily have everything cleaned,” Aziraphale smiled. “How are you, dear?” His eyes glanced over her shoulder. “You’ve certainly been busy!”

Crowley nodded. The serving platter on her kitchen counter featured no less than twenty individual cupcakes, each with its own frosting and decorative touch from sprinkles to nut crumbles. Two dessert settings had been placed in front of the tray, accompanied by mugs ready for cocoa, tea or coffee. In one corner of the kitchen, several large Tupperware held what Crowley could guess were the ‘extras’ from her day’s. He was honestly impressed that she’d had time to frost and decorate them as well.

“I was worried I wouldn’t finish on time,” she said. “Crowley said you’d be coming by a little after seven and I only got home at two. Early day for me. Mary had to close the cafe for a family event.”

Aziraphale eyes went from the tray back to Ariel, quickly putting two and two together. “Did… did you make these all today?”

Ariel nodded. “I made sure each recipe would be a half batch rather than a full one so it saved me time and ingredients. Then I could decorate the ones that had already cooled while the others baked.”

It was clear from her tone of voice that Aziraphale’s shock had been lost on her.

“Well,” Aziraphale breathed out. “I hope you didn’t do all of this on our account.”

Ariel blinked, looking to Crowley. “Oh. Did I not do it correctly?” She looked back at the tray and place settings, trying to find what she believed she'd missed. “I thought this was a traditional presentation.”

Crowley looked at the tray. “Might have gone a little overboard, sweetie, but that’s on me. I wasn’t as clear as I could have been. Have to say,” he waggled a finger at the tray. “You’re gonna give us a tough time.”

Aziraphale turned to Crowley, giving him something of a stern look. “Don’t tell me you asked her to do this. We talked about this!”

What had started out as a simple experiment into the world of baking had soon evolved into a pastime for the little angel. Crowley, Aziraphale and even Ariel herself had been shocked at how good her work was for someone with no experience. Crowley’s suggestion that she keep practicing had ultimately lead to a follow- up suggestion that she sell her treats at Aziraphale’s bookshop and the cat cafe. This had lead to a significant increase in attention and revenue for both establishments with a few suggesting Ariel open her own bakery or catering company. The praise had left Ariel redder than a ripe apple, but she’d graciously declined.

“My place is looking after animals,” she said. “Baking will is just a hobby… but I enjoy it and will happily make you something if you’d like.”

Crowley had overheard this and- knowing the quality of the angel’s work- asked if she’d be willing to make some pastries for, as he’d put it, “close friends coming for tea.” It was true… in some respects. They were “friends"… who did slightly illegal things on his behalf. And they were coming over for tea. Aziraphale had learned about this and quickly told Crowley off. Crowley had countered that he knew about Aziraphale’s arrangement with her to be the first one to try new recipes and how the angel would sometimes encourage her to make certain dishes. Dishes that Crowley knew for a fact, Aziraphale adored. From then on, the two agreed they would not use Ariel’s baking talents for personal gain. 

Ariel stepped in front of Crowley, hoping to defuse what she saw as a ‘situation’ but Crowley found to be a ‘mildly annoyed fluffy angel.’

“I’m so sorry I made too much,” she said quickly, her tone somewhat submissive. Aziraphale softened his expression. After her arrival in England, both Aziraphale and Crowley had been trying to help her build her self image. It had been damaged after what Gabriel did and while she was getting better and standing up for herself again, Aziraphale had come to realize it was in her nature to try to resolve a conflict by putting herself on the line first.

“Oh, my dear, it’s not-“

“I just wanted to present you with something a proper bakery might.”

“This isn’t your…” Aziraphale paused. “What?”

“And you can sell all the extras in your shop! I won’t even ask for-”

“My dear,” Aziraphale stepped out and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s all right, but… what do mean by ‘something a proper bakery might present’?”

Ariel calmed herself down and looked back at the display. “I’d hoped it would be close to a traditional tasting presentation.”

Aziraphale stared at her and Crowley smirked, stepping beside the angel. He reached out and ruffled the Guardian’s hair. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as a ‘traditional tasting presentation,’ sweetie and if there is, you’ve put it to shame.”

Aziraphale turned to Crowley, whose expression had turned soft and- upon closer examination- somewhat sheepish. 

“Surprise,” he mumbled.

Since Aziraphale’s attention had been consumed by the expansion of his shop and both had been concerned with Ariel’s arrival, their engagement had fallen to the side somewhat. It hadn’t concerned either of them given they both knew it was going to happen and a few extra months of waiting was nothing compared to six thousand years. It would be a small ceremony, with their only guests being those who’d aided in the preventing of Not-mageddon. Madame Tracy had even offered to officiate. Both the angel and demon had been shocked to realize she actually had the authority to do so. 

“Figured you could use a little pick-me-up,” Crowley smiled. “And cake always helps.”

Ariel blushed. “Crowley asked me if I’d want to make your wedding cake. I just wanted to make sure you had enough flavors to choose from.”

Aziraphale felt his heart melt, unsure of who to hug first. Eventually, he pulled both of them in close and wrapped his arms around them tightly. Giving Ariel a kiss on the forehead and Crowley a long kiss on the mouth, only to pull away when Ariel cooed fondly at the sight. 

Aziraphale cleared his throat and gestured to the tray. “Well, madame, what do you have for us tonight?”

Ariel’s eyes sparkled as she gestured for them to sit at the two places at her kitchen counter. She reached up and offered her arm to Danger Noodle, who slithered down off the catwalk and positioned himself carefully on her shoulders, resting his head comfortably at the crook of her neck. She knew how much he hated to be left out of anything she was doing and always wanted to make her best friend comfortable.

“Of course, if you’d like to mix and match different cakes with different frostings, I’m more than happy to do that,” she said as he came over to the tray. “But this is what I have so far.”

‘So far’ for Ariel might as well have been considered a whole day's worth of work at a bakery with a large staff. In order, the samples were:

Vanilla bean cake with whipped cream frosting and white chocolate shavings.

Dark chocolate cake with chocolate mousse frosting and an espresso syrup drizzled on top.

Lemon cake with lemon curd filling and citrus frosting.

Vanilla cake with a coffee liqueur wash and dark chocolate frosting.

Cherry chocolate cake with fresh cherries baked in and fresh cherry whipped cream.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a nut crumble on top.

A chocolate raspberry cake with raspberry filling and chocolate fudge frosting.

A strawberry sponge cake with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries in the middle.

A tiramisu cake with whipped cream, mascarpone cheese frosting, and chocolate shavings.

A red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and tiny chocolate chips baked into the cake for extra crunch.

A white cake with blueberries and whipped cream frosting dotted with fresh fruit.

A ‘cookies & cream’ style cake with a sandwich cookie frosting and cookie crumble on top.

A chocolate cake with swirled peanut butter and chocolate frosting, dotted with peanut butter chips.

A brownie cake with cheesecake flavored cream cheese and cheesecake chunks baked in.

A vanilla cake with cookie bits baked in and cookie-dough frosting.

An apple cake with spiced cream cheese frosting and a streusel crumble topping.

A dark chocolate cake with mint frosting and a whipped cream filling, topped with tiny chocolate chips.

A vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and lemon curd, topped with a strawberry-lemon frosting.

A cheesecake style cake with dark chocolate swirled in and a chocolate fudge topping.

A peanut butter cake, filled and topped with Nutella frosting and fresh hazelnuts.

“What do you think?” Ariel asked brightly.

Both the angel and the demon’s heads were swimming, holding their jaws back from hitting the floor and trying to remember how to speak. Crowley answered for them.

“I think you’re going to have to let us spend the night,” he said. “After all this, we’re going to be in a coma.”

FOOTNOTES

1\. Forbidden Planet is a comic book retail chain in England. Its megastore is located in London. Crowley visits it once a month. He was the one who suggested the chain sell Funko pops.

2\. There are multiple definitions of what a ‘proper’ cup of tea is. Consult your nearest British person for more information. All responses up to and including “I don’t know” and “f*ck off, you nutter” are acceptable. 

3\. Crowley was rather intoxicated when he named the serpent before delivering it to Ariel. Danger Noodle’s God-given name (yes, you read that right) is currently unknown.


End file.
